Siena Poll: Half of Voters Agree with Gov: ‘NYS Govt. is Working Again’

Weeks of negative headlines involving state legislators are having sway with public opinion. A new Siena College Research Institute poll measures New York voter attitude on political corruption, the state Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo.

There's good news and bad news about how New Yorkers feel about state government and the governor's refrain that it is "working again."

“How do voters feel about their state government? By one measure, not bad. By another measure, really bad,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “When asked if they agree with a recent statement by Governor Cuomo that ‘New York State government is working again,’ 50 percent said ‘yes,’ while 36 percent disagreed and13 percent neither agreed nor disagreed. A strong majority of Democrats and New York City voters agreed with the Governor, however, a majority of Republicans and pluralities of independents and upstaters disagreed. The report card worsens when New Yorkers are asked to consider fiscal responsibility, ethics and jobs.

Will we see more legislative mug shots? Greenberg say "Only the prosecutors know for sure..." Like everyone else, former Ways and Means Committee staffer Monica Arias Miranda, who ran unsuccessfully last year for the Senate seat now held by Cecilia Tkaczyk, has witnessed the parade of legislators who have run afoul of the law - she is among those pointing a finger of blame at Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, echoing a claim of sexual harassment she made during the campaign.

The Siena Poll also found 41 percent of the voters want corruption addressed and see that as the No. 1 end-of-session issue. And right now, 55 percent of voters are inclined to re-elect Cuomo to another term in 2014.

The poll was conducted from May 13 through 16 by calls to 623 New York State registered voters via landline and mobile telephones. It has an overall margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.

New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is proposing that state lawmakers expel Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who is accused of sexual harassment.

Silver is also asking the Assembly to consider the full investigative report, which was critical of Silver's handling of the Lopez case. He says he'll introduce legislation today, which would be acted on Monday.